Field of the Invention
The present application is related to user authentication and, in particular, to techniques for reliably authenticating student identity in the course of interactive submission of, or participation in, coursework.
Description of the Related Art
As educational institutions seek to serve a broader range of students and student situations, on-line courses have become an increasingly important offering. Indeed, numerous instances of an increasingly popular genre of on-line courses, known as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), are being created and offered by many universities, as diverse as Stanford, Princeton, Arizona State University, the Berkeley College of Music, and the California Institute for the Arts. These courses can attract tens (or even hundreds) of thousands of students each. In some cases, courses are offered free of charge. In some cases, courses are offered for credit.
While some universities have created their own Learning Management Systems (LMS), a number of new companies have begun organizing and offering courses in partnership with universities or individuals. Examples of these include Coursera, Udacity, and edX. Still other companies, such as Moodle, offer LMS designs and services for universities who wish to offer their own courses.
Students taking on-line courses typically watch video lectures, engage in blog/chat interactions, and submit assignments, exercises, and exams. Submissions may be evaluated and feedback on quality of coursework submissions can be provided. In some cases, professional accreditation, university credit and/or proficiency recognition may be offered. To facilitate such new accredited delivery channels for educational content, technological solutions are needed. In particular, improved techniques are needed for reliably ascertaining or authenticating identity of a student user submitting assignments, exercises, and exams.